Anaheim Lions Baseball Tournament : Wilson Wins Again for La Quinta

Facing La Quinta pitcher Mike Wilson had not been an easy task for opposing hitters this season.

Wilson, a senior right-hander, turned in another outstanding effort, pitching a four-hitter as the Aztecs beat Western, 6-1, in the championship game of the West Anaheim Lions tournament Wednesday at Glover Stadium.

Wilson (5-1) has given up 3 runs--only 2 earned--in 43 innings this season. Wednesday against the Pioneers, he struck out nine and walked only two. He was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

The victory improves the Aztecs’ record to 11-4. Western, tied for first in the Orange League with Magnolia, drops to 8-5-1.

“I think Wilson has quite an arm,” Western Coach Hack Mitchell said. “He’s a classy kid who has a breaking pitch and a great fastball.”

Western, which won the tournament championship last year by beating Westminster, scored one run in the fourth inning off Wilson. Mario Juarez’s grounder to short scored Doug McConathy from third base. McConathy had led off the inning with a double to left-center field, and he went to third when left fielder James Johnson bobbled the ball for an error.

From then on, Wilson retired 10 of 13 batters.

La Quinta, which is ranked 10th in the Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. poll, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Right fielder James Marquez singled to right, scoring Jerry Arneson--who had walked--from third. Junior Bob Noson (2-2) pitched well for Western, giving up only four hits and striking out five. He was also aided by a triple play in the third inning.

But Noson was his worst enemy in the fifth. With no outs and runners on first and second, Jason Cherms bunted back to Noson. Instead of going to first for the easy out, Noson choose to go to third, but his throw was wild and scored pinch-runner Tom Cherms and Jeff Swift. Later in the inning, Mark Dickson singled home Cherms for a 4-1 lead.

In the consolation championship game:

Canyon 7, Sonora 3--Dan Puskas went 5 for 5 with 2 RBIs to lead Canyon (9-4) at Glover Stadium. John Thibert also drove in two runs on two hits. Marty Little (2-2) pitched five innings in relief for the victory.

In consolation games:

Troy 3, Dana Hills 0--Steve Trachsel threw just 80 pitches in recording a four-hit shutout at Brookhurst Park. Trachsel (5-0) struck out four and also singled home a run.

University 13, S.F. Riordan 0--Dave Dieter had two hits, including a grand slam, for University (4-10) at Brookhurst Park in a game that was called after six innings. Tournament rules allow a 2-hour 15-minute time limit. Garth Viar (2-6) had a perfect game for five innings before he gave up three hits in the sixth.